Ola Chicos - my logo

 The original idea was to ink my body with another tattoo. I had got my first tattoo at the age of 18 when I was living in the US in the hands of a local member of the Hells Angel on his dirty kitchen table.  Just as I like customizing things, I love the idea of personalizing your body.  My first tattoo was the logo of a band I identified myself at the time (still does) Operation Ivy.  It represent a type of music and also the way I sleep...

For me, a tattoo is personal, and somewhat unique, so I was looking for something in which I could find myself in, just like I had done with my first tattoo.  

I have always been fascinated by people with double personality such as "doctor Jeckil and Mr Hide".  I think it fits perfectly to me.  The idea of coupling successful biz man during the day that travel the world in first class, staying in fancy hotel, wearing the latest Italians suits, speaking at conference, blablablabla, and the Devil in the evening, which rides loud, street illegal motorbikes, DJ in underground club, hand out with punk rock n roll bands, or biker clubs.   As my mate puts it, Angel during the day, Devil during the night.  So after going through serious thinking going over all the music collection, I took the logo of Joe Jackson "big world" album representing a business man and consequently the angel and me during the day, and the logo of Social Distortion representing the Devil and me during the night.  All was lay upon a tribal bike tattoo that I had downloaded on the net. I gave the sketch and the idea to my sister who took it to her tattooer friend of her for a first draft.  

And here is what he came with.  Not there yet but good beginning.  

The logo remained like this for more than 5 years, before I found the help of Kathrina, a professional Graphic Designer working for the same company.  After short explanation, she came up with exactly what I was expecting.   

Than the only things left was to conceptualise it and found a name.  Being fan of Exile Cycles who draw its name from having move from the UK to LA, I felt why not Xpat Cycles, since I had not been living in my own country for the last 20 years and that I move from places to place every 15 days.  A few month later, after I had taken my first built to Arne at Custom Service to do the latest road worthiness testing, I added the word "useless" in front.  There was so many things that I had done wrong on the bike that I felt useless when I delivered the bike to Arne.  So, I ended up with Useless Xpat Cycles.   For the lower cut, I wasn't really focus and since I don't take myself seriously I started by using the But WGAFA (but who gives a fuck anyway) but that just did not do it.   

So I went on the famous 3 words from Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistol ; "sex, drug and rock n roll" and I just replaced the Drug by Bikes and used the "Benighted" font.  And that was it... .